One day, somebody made the following quip to me: “If God doesn’t destroy San Francisco, then He has to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” At the time, I didn’t think it was particularly funny. It did make me think back to an odd childhood memory – when I was a kid, I was raised on 1950s and 60s Biblical epics: “The Ten Commandments,” “The Robe,” “Ben-Hur.” I was always glued to the television screen and completely fascinated. One film that strangely scared me was ‘The Bible” from 1966. The whole movie just felt somber and dark and neither Technicolor nor lushly operatic like the others. The most terrifying scene; when the spaced-out inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah break into Lot’s home in order to reach the three heavenly angels (all eerily played by Peter O’Toole.) As a child, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to harm the angels; much less have sex with them. Years later, in my mind, Sodom continues to represent the equally corrupt city of San Francisco: the site of my entrance into the gay lifestyle. But, unlike its Biblical counterpart, I know that there at least 10 righteous people in the City; for I have had the Grace and blessing to know and work with well over that many. And, it’s really up to all of us to help make sure that those who are Faithful are supported, and remain so, and that the number always increases. Because, at the heart of the aforementioned joke is the fact that many Christians often disregard or “write-off” most, if not all, of the gay population. And, I can see why this happens. Because, when a community is so saturated and entrenched within an evil and destructive existence, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to imagine those same very people as possible future saints. But, it can happen. To disbelieve that – is to disbelieve in God.
From my favorite Bible commentary, The Navarre Bible Series from Scepter Press, regarding the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:
“This biblical account has led to homosexual relationships being referred to as ‘sodomy.’ The gravity of this sin is underlined here and it is compounded, in this case, by the fact that it does violence to the right of asylum which Lot’s hospitality included. In Holy Scripture sins of homosexuality are portrayed as being very depraved: the Law of Moses punished them with death (cf. Lev 20:13), and, in the New Testament, they are seen as the height of depravity when men do not want to live according to the law of God (cf. Rom 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10). Basing itself on Holy Scripture, Tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically evil’ (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Persona humana, 8). ‘They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementary. Under no circumstances can they be approved (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357).’”
